Google Flights is one of the leading tools for finding the best possible airline tickets. The Google Flights search engine aggregates nearly all available flights based on your specified date and location parameters. Once you find your perfect flight, you can click through to book directly with the airline. You can Compare cash prices and prizes using a browser extension.
While Google Flights has its value, there’s always been one glaring drawback: Southwest Airlines’ fares can’t be seen in search results. Now, that has changed.
Starting Wednesday, Southwest fare results will show up in Google Flights searches along with other major airlines. Previously, you could see Southwest times, flight numbers, and other data in search results, but you could only see actual ticket prices by clicking through to Southwest’s website.
Now that you can see Southwest fares on Google Flights, you can compare prices across multiple airlines to find the most affordable flight. This makes the search engine’s price chart and date grid tools more accurate and more useful to travelers.
You can also use Google Flights tracking capabilities to track Southwest flight prices. When you sign up, you’ll receive email alerts any time the price of a tracked Southwest flight changes. This can help you determine the best time to book your tickets. For previously booked flights, this will allow you rebook your flight at a lower price and receive a flight credit or refund, depending on your booking method and ticket class.
This change also means you can see pricing and included services for all four Southwest ticket classes in Google Flights. Overall, comparing and booking airline tickets on the Google Flights platform has become much easier.
Southwest regularly delivers flight deals, which you can usually only access directly with the airline. You can now see the same discounted flight deals on Google Flights that Southwest offers on its own site.
Southwest made this change without much fanfare, shocking travelers who had long expected the change.
This budget-friendly airline is notoriously absent from online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity as well as credit card travel portal like Capital One Travel and American Express travel portal. Late last year, the airline offered eligible Chase cardholders the ability redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Southwest flights Use the Chase travel portal.
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These improvements make booking Southwest flights easier than ever and explain just some of the changes the Dallas-based airline has committed to making in recent years. In 2022, The company committed 2 billion USD to “transform the customer experience.” We’re already seeing that happen by improving in-flight Wi-Fi, added power port for some aircraft and more.
Recently, according to airline information December 2023 crisis caused nearly 17,000 flights to be canceled, Southwest said it is budgeting $1.3 billion for upgrades, maintenance and other costs to get flights back on track.
Technological limitations have also hindered this airline offers red-eye flights. The airline has now switched to a new system. During the Skift Airline Conference in November 2023, CEO Bob Jordan said that with technological barriers removed, the airline “will have a red eye” at some point in the future.
Could there be additional changes being made to the Southwest flight experience? It’s too early to say. Still, this is definitely a big win for Southwest loyalists and travelers on a budget. Now you can find and compare flight prices without leaving the Google Flights platform.
Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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